ALBUM NOTES:

Six String Super Apparatus (Painting with Guitars Volume Three) is an instrumental album issued on Nelson’s own Tremelo Boy Records.  The album is the third volume in an ongoing series entitled Painting with Guitars, which collects songs that Nelson had been performing live over the previous two decades, but which had yet to find their way onto albums.  The first volume was The Romance of Sustain, the second was Plectrajet, and the fourth will be Astral Overdrive (scheduled to be released in 2017).

Volumes two through four of the series were assembled during a 1 month stretch starting in February 2015.  The project was the fulfillment of a long-standing promise by the artist to release the hoard of tracks, some of which had become favourites of fans who attended his live performances.  In fact, the final track selection for these volumes were partly shaped by a small number of Dreamsville members who would remind Nelson of particular tracks they remembered fondly.  The series also marked the end of an era for Nelson, who had all but given up live performances, due to continuing problems with his hearing.  Six String Super Apparatus was issued as a download only release on December 1st, 2016.


CURRENT AVAILABILITY:

Available for purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store.


IF YOU LIKED THIS ALBUM, YOU'LL PROBABLY ENJOY:
Romance of Sustain, Plectrajet, Practically Wired, Fantastic Guitars, Plaything, The Awakening of Dr Dream,
Confessions of a Hyperdreamer, Modern Moods for Mighty Atoms, Luxury Lodge, Tripping The Light Fantastic


BILL'S THOUGHTS:

"There are a few rarities amongst these...some pieces that have only been performed live once or twice, but some more regular numbers too, which have featured in my solo concerts more frequently."
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"It's an album loaded with guitars and will form a further component in the gathering together of tracks from my concerts.”
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"There's a certain adjunct between rock music and jazz which can often be missed by the casual listener.  I'm thinking here of the free-flowing lines of Jimi Hendrix which have often been compared to the 'sheets of sound', or 'constant flux' approach to music such as those of jazz luminaries like John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Albert Ayler and Ornette Coleman, (to mention just a few possibilities).

This open-ended, unscripted, spontaneous attitude towards playing is frought with dangers but also potential wonders.  It requires a kind of bravery, a willingness to step out beyond the familiar, pre-scripted lines that most musicians rely on and literally 'launch one's self off the cliff' and hope that fair winds and flying boats will carry the music into the blue sky.

As the years go by, (and weigh more heavily on me), I'm increasingly drawn to the potential for entirely spontaneous playing, a sort of instant composition approach, but with nothing in mind other than the starting point with everything else being left entirely to chance.  Sometimes this will bring melodic ideas to bear, other times abrasive ones, other times subtle inflections and sophisticated nuances, and othertimes just a sheer, exuberant, torrent of sound.

Listening to today's transfer of my live solo concert tracks for the Six String Super Apparatus album, I was struck with the apparent open-ended, improvistional approach that emerged from the recordings.  I'm not for one second implying that my music is in the exalted John Coltrane sphere...but, at times, it does seem to have something of the same spirit.
A free, blowing, 'go wherever it will' attitude, which I find both flawed and yet perfect at the same time.  It creates something with a combination of beauty and grit."

FAN THOUGHTS:

Big Dunc:

"First impressions...Bloody Superb"


andygeorge:

"This is pure guitar heaven!

Bill will probably dismiss this as a side project, something he can knock out in his sleep, (which he probably can!)...but, boy, this sounds soooo good!"


Coach Matt:

"Blackpool Pleasure Beach and the Road to Enlightenment":  "Need I say anymore, as the hair elevates on my skin. This track grabbed me right away.  Just makes me want to plug in, crank it up and play along.  Fabulous guitar playing over a smashing, smooth bottom groove.  Takes you sailing away on blissful roller coaster ride.  I just dig this style of Bill and can never get enough!  The groove and guitar is edgy, yet charming."


Peter:

"It is a guitar lover's dream come true – it has rock, jazz, blues, ambient...it has everything, the entire Bill Nelson canon collected in one place.  Every technique, every effect...all interwoven into Bill's usual sterling compositions.  Each song offers moments of "Oh, wow..." and "Oh, that's SO good".  All instrumentals, this album has power, emotion, style, delicacy, grace, polish, joy...it is a showcase of Bill's mastery of both songwriting and guitar playing.  It is a masterpiece."


Pathdude:

"This is another album of gorgeous Bill Nelson guitar music.  If you liked Romance of Sustain or Plectrajet, you'll like this one.  Quite a variety of sounds and styles.  Personal favorite track right now is "When the World was Beautiful".

Bravo Bill, another masterpiece!"


Comsat Angel:

"As always, another outstanding album!"


RJR:

"Very nice collection of songs.  I don't know if it was intended, but at times there seem to be certain guitar playing that hearken back to the 80's, even some BBD."


Neill_Burgess:

"Six String Super Apparatus is a treat for anyone fortunate enough to have seen and heard Bill playing any of these tracks live in recent years, and it's a treat for anyone who missed the concerts.  So, basically, it's a treat!"

"It's a fairly varied set (space blues, big guitar heroics, gentler numbers) and the tracks fit together to form a coherent whole.  Personal favourite is the joyous opener "Blackpool Pleasure Beech and the Road to Enlightenment".
 
If you like Practically Wired, or the aforementioned The Romance of Sustain and Plectrajet, you'll love this."


Sauropod:

"I'm finding nowadays that whenever Bill releases a new album, it usually takes several listens to take it all in, even approaching things from a guitarist's point of view.  They have a consistently high quality to them which I really appreciate and enjoy.

"Andromeda Gardens" - This still remains my favorite track from the album after repeated listens.  The use of a baritone guitar (?) on it sets the song apart from all the others on the album.  One word sums it up - sublime.

"Happily Haunted" - This is the one song from the record with a really memorable hook. If I were a record exec, this would be the one I would choose as the single.

Summary/rating: I would rate this as a "must buy". It is, in my opinion, amongst the top 10% of Bill's output."


james warner:

"As has been the case with previous relatively low-key releases, I find myself enjoying this album more immediately than some of the 'fanfare' releases.  Maybe it's because there is no concept to it, just a collection of really good tunes.  There is a sense of sass and strut about many of the tracks, suggesting Bill was relaxed and having fun recording it.  There are dreamy interludes, too, so this is an album with something for everyone."


Prey:

"WOW, the wizard of Wakefield brings the big notes to us for Christmas!

An amazing journey through guitar heaven, thank you!"